Apparatus for applying lotions, dyes, bleaches or the like to the hair



p 7, 1965 F. M DOUGALL-KALEY 3,204,644 APPARATUS FOR APPLYING LOTIONS, DYES, BLEAGHES OR THE LIKE TO THE HAIR Filed Jan. 50, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 26 F 2 7 INVENTOR Flora; MJQZYQF-KQB I'm/Hi V (3 14 TTORNEY p 1965 F. M DOUGALL-KALEY 3,204,644

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING LQTIONS, DYES, BLEACHES OR THE LIKE TO THE HAIR Filed Jan. 30, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Flora Mgbfitflql-Kals fi e r/Jlni/ey ATTORNEY p 7, 965 F. M DOUGALb-KALEY 3,204,644-

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING LOTIONS, DYES, BLEACHES OR THE LIKE TO THE HAIR Filed Jan. 30, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR MD yqlmum. w 1 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,204,644 APPARATUS FOR APPLYING L'OTIONS, DYES, BLEACHES OR THE LIKE TO THE HAIR Flora McDougall-Kaley, Palazzo Lovatelli, Rome, Italy Filed 52111.30, 1963, Ser. No. 254,923 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Feb. 5, 1962, 4,368/62 Claims. (Cl. 132-9) This invention relates to apparatus for applying lotions, dyes, bleaches or the like to the hair.

It is frequently necessary in hairdressing, particularly in ladies hairdressing to treat the hair near the roots, or the scalp, with a flowable substance such, for example, as a lotion, dye, bleach or conditioner, the substance being of a liquid or creamy consistency. The usual method of carrying out such treatment is to part the hair with a comb and apply the substance with a brush at the parting, this operation being repeated a considerable number of times to cover the whole of the head. This treatment takes a long time. In the particular instance of hair bleaching, such treatment is necessary after initial bleaching to bring the freshly grown hair near the roots to the same color as the already bleached hair.

Bleaches depend for their action on the time for which they are in contact with the hair, so that if the time taken for applying the bleach is long, and the bleach is removed by washing after the whole head has been treated, the degree of bleaching may vary considerably on different parts of the head.

The object of the present invention is to provide an appliance or apparatus which will enable the hair near the roots, to the exclusion of the remainder of the hair, to be treated relatively quickly and evenly.

According to the present invention, in apparatus for applying flowable substances to the hair near the roots comprising a hair parting member and an applicator for transferring the flowable substance from a reservoir to the hair in the parting so formed, the flowable substance flows to the applicator through a passage in which is provided an adjustable flowing regulating device.

The adjustable flow regulating device is preferably in the form of a shutter movable in guides so as to obstruct the passage to a greater or lesser extent.

The shutter may be of arcuate form and may move in an arcuate slot intersecting the passage.

Preferably, the applicator is mounted in a head detachably mounted on a reservoir, and the shutter may be mounted on the reservoir or on the head.

Means may be provided for admitting air at a variable rate to the reservoir to replace flowable substance flowing to the applicator and thereby to vary the freedom of such flow.

The invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of one form of apparatus according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partial section on the lines 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIGURES 1 to 3, the lower half of the head and hair parting member being omitted;

FIGURE 5 is an elevation, partly in section, of an alternative head for the apparatus shown in FIGURES 1 to 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a partial section similar to FIGURE 3, of a modified form of apparatus according to the invention.

Referring to FIGURES 1 to 4 of the drawings, the apparatus comprises a reservoir 10, a head 11 and a hair parting member 12, a wheel-like applicator 13 being rotatice ably mounted in a cavity 14 in the head 11 so as to have a part of its periphery protruding from said cavity, and a passage or opening 15 in the wall of the reservoir 14] connects the cavity 14 to the said reservoir.

The reservoir is formed, preferably by molding of a transparent synthetic thermoplastic material and is of generally bulbous shape as shown, but has an external cylindrical surface 16 extending on both sides of the medial plane on which the section shown in FIGURE 3 is taken, so as to form a zone extending round the reservoir. A hollow outwardly projecting boss 17 is formed on the reservoir, with its axis in the medial plane above referred to, and the reservoir is provided with four feet 18 so positioned that it can stand on a horizontal surface with the boss 17 uppermost.

The part of the wall of the reservoir 10 having the cylindrical surface 16 is thickened at 21 and in the thickened portion there is formed a slot 22, of rectangular cross section and following the curvatures of the surface 16, the slot 22 intersecting the opening or passage and being Wider than the said opening. An arcuate shutter 23 is slidably mounted in the slot, one end of the shutter projecting from the slot on the outside of the reservoir between two of the feet 18 and having formed on it a roughened thumb-piece 24 by means of which the shutter 23 may be slid to-and-fro in the slot to open and close the opening or passage 15.

An aperture 25 is formed in the reservoir wall portion along the cylindral surface 16, at a point between the other two legs 18, and a pair of arcuate guides 26 of L-shaped cross section support for sliding movement cir cumferentially of the said surface a plate 27 for varying the degree of opening of said aperture, the plate having a roughened finger-piece 28 to facilitate its manipulation.

The head 11 is shaped to fit into the hollow boss 17 and has an interrupted flange 29, the wall of the boss 17 being cut away at 31 to allow the flange portions 29 to move axially into the boss and being grooved at 32 between the cut-away portions at 31, the flange portions 29 entering the groove 32, when the head is turned after insertion in the boss to provide a bayonet-type interlock between the head 11 and the reservoir 10. A flange 33 on the head 11 rests on the end of the boss 17. The cavity 4 in the head is of substantially rectangular crosssection and extends to an opening at the outer end of the said head, the walls of the cavity converging towards the opening.

The applicator 13 is mounted on a spindle 34 extending across the cavity 14, the side walls of the applicator converging at 35 to conform to the shape of the side walls of the cavity, and the end walls of the cavity following substantially the peripheral curvature of the applicator. The peripheral surface of the applicator is formed with a shallow groove 36 of arcuate cross section in which are formed transverse ribs 37 to provide a non-smooth surface. The side faces of the applicator 13 are formed with upstanding circumferential ribs 38 so that there are spaces between the said side faces and the side walls of the head cavity around the spindle 34, the said spaces providing for the reception of any flowable substance which passes between the side faces of the applicator and the side walls of the cavity, so as to reduce the risk of clogging of the applicator and obstruction of its rotation.

The hair parting member 12 is in the form of an elongated tapered rod of octagonal cross-section, and has a screw-thread spigot 39 at its larger end to screw into a socket 41 in one side of the head, the socket 41 being so positioned that the axis of the hair parting member 12 lies in the central plane of the applicator 13 and is tangential to a circle about the axis of the applicator of smaller radius than the applicator itself.

FIGURE 5 shows another head 11a which can be fitted to the reservoir in substitution for the head 1.1 and which resembles the head 11 in all respects except that the applicator 13a is narrower than the applicator 13, and the cavity 14a is correspondingly narrower. One portion 29a of the interrupted flange serving to hold the head 11a in position is shown in FIGURE 5.

When the apparatus is to be used, the reservoir 10 is filled with the substance to be applied to the hair, which may be relatively free-flowing liquid, a fairly stilt cream, or of some intermeidate consistency. The reservoir is filled with the head removed and the shutter 23 opened so that the treating substance can be poured in through the opening or passage 15. The apparatus is then passed repeatedly over the scalp in successive paths, with the applicator 13 towards the head, in a direction such that the said applicator follows the path of the hair parting member 12. The said parting member 12 forms a parting in the hair, and the applicator 13 rolls over the hair in the parting so formed, depositing the substance to be applied on the hair adjacent the roots. The flow of the substance is adjusted primarily by moving the shutter 23 to vary the opening of the passage in the boss, but a further degree of control is provided by moving the plate 27 to vary the opening of the aperture 25 in the reservoir wall and so controlling the entry of air into the reservoir, the aperture 25 being usually set in a more widely open position for substance of a thicker consistency.

The other parts of the apparatus, as well as the reservoir, are preferably formed of transparent thermoplastic material.

FIGURE 6 shows a modified form of apparatus according to the invention, in which the shutter controlling the flow of flowable substance to the applicator is mounted in the head, and there is no provision for admitting air to the reservoir.

The reservoir 42 is formed with an externally screwthreaded neck 43 and a passage 44 in the head 45 is enlarged and formed With a screw-thread at one end to engage the neck. A shutter 46 slides in an arcuate slot 47 formed in the head 45 so as to intersect the passage 44 and is manipulated to open and close the passage 44 by means of a radial projection 48. The shutter 46 is capable of being removed completely from the slot 47 when the head is detached from the reservoir, but when the head is mounted on the reservoir the movement of the shutter is limited by the neck 43 to a range suflicient to open and close the passage 44. A rotary wheel-like applicator 49 is mounted in the head 45 in substantially the same manner as is the applicator of the previously described embodiment, and a hair parting member 51 is detachably secured to the head as already described, but with its axis passing through the head behind the applicator.

It will be evident that the apparatus shown in FIGURE 7 6 is used in the same manner as that shown in FIGURES The applicator wheel may have projections on its periphcry of conical or other shape, or may be formed with zit cavities instead of projections. Alternatively the periphery of the said applicator wheel may be formed by a flat band of an absorbent or spongy substance.

It will be apparent that the apparatus can readily be dismantled for cleaning so that the removal of deposits of the substances used can be ensured, the transparency of the parts assisting in ensuring that they are thoroughly cleansed.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for applying flowable substances to the hair close to the roots thereof, comprising a reservoir, a hollow head secured to the reservoir and having an opening through the top wall thereof, a passage connecting the reservoir to the interior of the head and in which is provided an adjustable flow regulating device, a hair parting member aligned with said opening and on said head, and an applicator wheel journaled in said head and having a small portion protruding through said opening, said wheel being a disc of relatively small thickness and having a shallow peripheral groove extending around the entire circumference of the wheel for conveying a continuous narrow stream of the flowable substance from the interior of the hollow head through said opening to the exterior of the head, the bottom of said groove being provided with upstanding means of less height than the depth of the groove to form a roughened surface.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adjustable fiow regulating device is an arcuate shutter movable in an arcuate slot intersecting said passage so as to obstruct the passage to a greater or less extent.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said upstanding means provided at the bottom of said shallow peripheral groove comprises transverse upstanding ribs of less height than the depth of the groove.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said applicator wheel is provided with converging sides near its periphery closely fitting similarly converging Walls forming said opening in the head and at least one circumferential rib on each side face about the axis of the applicator wheel for slightly spacing the wheel from the walls of said hollow head.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein means are provided on the reservoir for admitting air at a variable v rate to replace flowable substance flowing to the applicator wheel and thereby to vary the freedom of such flow.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,029,056 1/36 Carlson 15571 2,827,649 3/58 Perry 15-575 2,865,383 12/58 Kaley 132l12 X 3,081,783 3/63 Miller 132-84 FOREIGN PATENTS 926,253 4/47 France.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLOWABLE SUBSTANCES TO THE HAIR CLOSE TO THE ROOTS THEREOF, COMPRISING A RESERVOIR, A HOLLOW HEAD SECURED TO THE RESERVOIR AND HAVING AN OPENING THROUGH THE TOP WALL THEREOF, A PASSAGE CONNECTING THE RESERVOIR TO THE INTERIOR OF THE HEAD AND IN WHICH IS PROVIDED AN ADJUSTABLE FLOW REGULATING DEVICE, A HAIR PARTING MEMBER ALIGNED WITH SAID OPENING AND ON SAID HEAD, AND AN APPLICATOR WHEEL JOURNALED IN SAID HEAD AND HAVING A SMALL PORTION PROTRUDING THROUGH SAID OPENING, SAID WHEEL BEING A DISC OF RELATIVELY SMALL THICKNESS AND HAVING A SHALLOW PERIPHERAL GROOVE EXTENDING A CONTINUTIRE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE WHEEL FOR CONVEYING A CONTINUOUS NARROW STREAM OF THE FLOWABLE SUBSTANCE FROM THE INTERIOR OF THE HOLLOW HEAD THROUGH SAID OPENING TO THE EXTERIOR OF THE HEAD, THE BOTTOM OF SAID GROOVE BEING PROVIDED WITH UPSTANDING MEANS OF LESS HEIGHT THAN THE DEPTH OF THE GROOVE TO FORM A ROUGHENED SURFACE. 